Desiree DaCosta is a former assistant to actor Eddie Murphy but she is best known as the wife of Blair Underwood. While information about where and when she met the Hollywood star are yet to be revealed, it is common knowledge that they have been married for more than twenty years.
Desiree DaCosta is the wife of Blair Underwood, a Grammy Award-winning Hollywood star who rose to fame through his portrayal of the recalcitrant attorney named Jonathan Rollins on the NBC legal drama, L.A. Law. He played the role for seven years and it earned him a Golden Globe nomination among other accolades.
Blair kicked off his acting career in 1985 and has received some of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry, including a Grammy which he won in 2009. Some of his most popular works as an actor include The Trip to Bountiful, Rules of Engagement, Set It Off, The Event, In Treatment, Dirty Sexy Money, and much more.
As much as he is celebrated for the characters he portrayed in the aforementioned movies and television shows, Blair is admired for being very public-spirited. He lives for humanitarian causes and is known to support several charitable organizations. His activities with the Los Angeles chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association earned him the 1993 Humanitarian Award.
He has been working with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation through his clinic in Washington and served as the spokesperson for YouthAIDS in 2003 alongside Asley Judd. All of this has made a lot of people curious about the actor and it extended to his relatives, especially his wife, Desiree DaCosta.
Desiree DaCosta Had a Career In Hollywood Before She Met and Got Married to Blair Underwood
Desiree DaCosta’s marriage to Blair Underwood is the major reason she is popular. But before she met and got married to the actor, she was part of Hollywood. Reports have it that she worked as an assistant to Eddie Murphy and was involved in productions like Harlem Nights (1989), Another 48 Hrs. (1990), Boomerang (1992), and The Distinguished Gentleman (1992).
It is said that she wanted to continue working in the industry after she got married but eventually decided to focus on being a mother and managing her home with Blair.
Unlike her husband born in Tacoma, Washington on August 25, 1964, Desiree was reportedly born sometime in 1967 and raised in California. We are yet to authenticate this claim as a lot of things are not known about Desiree.
Anyone that cares to know would easily find that Desiree DaCosta’s husband was born to Marilyn Ann Scales, an interior decorator, and Frank Eugene Underwood Sr. who was a colonel in the United States Army. It is also not a secret that as a child born to a military man, Blair Underwood grew up in military bases in the United States and Stuttgart, Germany.
He got his high school education at Petersburg High School in Petersburg, Virginia, after which he attended the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
All of such pieces of information about his wife are not available. The kind of childhood she had has remained a mystery just as noting is known to the public about the family she hails from, who her parents are, the schools she attended, and what have you.
The Couple Met at a Club In 1991 and Got Married In September 1994
From what we gathered, Desiree and Blair met in 1991 at a club called 20-20. In one of his many interviews, the actor related that met at an after-party for the premiere of The Five Heartbeats, a 1991 musical drama film directed by Robert Townsend.
Recalling the night they met for the first time, Blair related that they got talking and “closed down the club.” It marked the beginning of their relationship that has clocked three decades, but it was about a week later, precisely on the 7th of April 1991, that they had their first date.
Although Blair Underwood was still at the early stage of his career when he met Desiree DaCosta, he was no longer a newbie as he had made his debut in Krush Groove, appeared in shows like The Cosby Show and One Life to Live, in addition to playing Jonathan Rollins in L.A. Law.
Three years into their relationship, Desiree and Blair had realized they were meant to be together. With that, they got engaged and subsequently walked down the aisle on the 17th of September 1994.
How Famous Was Blair Underwood When He Married His Wife?
The year they got married was the year Blair’s breakthrough role in L.A. Law came to an end. So at that point, he was already a bonafide Hollywood star but would come to command more authority in the industry with roles in popular productions.
They include Deep Impact (1998), Rules of Engagement (2000), Sex and the City (2003 – 2004), and LAX (2004 – 2005). He would later score a Golden Globes nomination in 2009 for his portrayal of Alex in the HBO series, In Treatment.
Blair landed a spot on the TV Guide’s list of “Most Influential Faces of the 90s,” and in 2001, the hunky actor made the list of People’s “50 Most Beautiful People”. He has been named in all kinds of sexiest lists over time and it’s a testament to how popular he has become.
Genuine Love and Understanding Is the Secret of Their Long and Happy Marriage
It is remarkable for any couple to be happily married for over two decades and more so when one of the partners is a Hollywood star. Given Blair’s status in the entertainment industry known for its high rate of divorces, it is not difficult to see why his marriage to Desiree DaCosta inspires a lot of people.
From what is obvious the genuine love they have for each other has helped their union thrive in no small manner. Also, they have come to understand each other and it has been helpful to their marriage. The actor has expressed this sentiment a number of times.
Commenting on the several platforms that have named him among the sexiest men in the world, Blair noted that his wife is not worried about that or disturbed that a lot of people swoon over him.
Blair said he was skeptical about his Sex in the City role but was encouraged by Desiree to play the character. Also, the actor raised by a father who made him embrace the idea that it’s in a man’s place to protect and provide solutions to problems faced by the women in his life, have come to realize that what’s needed from him sometimes is just to listen and not to fix issues.
Desiree DaCosta Has Two Sons and a Daughter With Blair Underwood
For Desiree DaCosta and her husband, one of their biggest accomplishments is raising three kids who have grown into responsible adults. Despite the invasion of privacy the couple encounter, they were able to protect their kids so that they can have some level of normalcy in their childhood.
The names of their sons are Paris and Blake Ellis Underwood, whereas their daughter is Brielle Underwood.
- Paris Underwood is their oldest child; he was born in 1997 and is 27 years old.
- Brielle Underwood is their second child and only daughter. She was born in 1999 and is 25 years old.
- Blake Ellis Underwood is the baby of the family and the second son of Desiree and Blair. He was born on June 9, 2001, and is 22 years old.
After Nearly 3 Decades of Being Married, Blair and Desiree Announced Their Separation
It is remarkable for any couple to be happily married for over two decades and more so when one of the partners is a Hollywood star. Given Blair’s status in the entertainment industry known for its high rate of divorces, it was not difficult to see why his marriage to Desiree DaCosta inspired a lot of people.
But unfortunately, the couple left many of their fans shocked when after 27 years of being married, they announced on May 31 2021 that they had come to the end of their marriage.
Announcing their separation in a long message shared on Instagram, the couple said, “After a tremendous amount of thought, prayer & work on ourselves individually & collectively, we have come to the conclusion to end our marriage that began 27 years ago.”
Continuing, they revealed that among their achievements, their children (“three souls to which God entrusted us”), were their most valued and they would continue to always put their best interests first just like they have always done.
The duo promised to continue to be best friends and raise their children together and also have the utmost respect for each other as they begin a new chapter of their lives, separately.
The following month, a report by TheBlast.com revealed that DaCosta had officially filed for divorce from Blair on the 29th of June 2021. However, the reason behind the end of their marriage is yet to be revealed.
What is Desiree DaCosta’s Age?
According to some reports, Desiree DaCosta was born sometime in 1967 and raised in California. If the report is anything to go by, then Desiree is 57 years old.
What is Desiree DaCosta’s Net Worth?
Desiree has an estimated net worth of around $300 thousand. She once worked as an assistant to Eddie Murphy but eventually left the industry to focus on taking care of her home with Blair Underwood.
Is Desiree DaCosta Hispanic?
Although a lot of information about Desiree is unknown, it is believed that she is an African-American.
